Alessandro Downtown Hostel

Alessandro Downtown is a very clean hostel with the usual kitchen, TV lounge and Internet access. It is a very social hostel that features regular pizza nights. It has good security; you have to walk past the reception to get inside, the front door locks, there is video surveillance and there are some lockers.

User reviews (28)

I agree with the review provided by BUG with the following correctionsupdatesexperiences:
1. There are 2 levels of rooms, you do not have to walk past reception to get to the second level of rooms.
2. Small lockers are provided free (bring your own lock), and the bag room is under surveillance - great security!
3. The small kitchen gets very crowded - often not worth the bother.
4. The pizza nights are at the sister Palace hostel, a 10 minute walk away, as is the bar - happy hour is worth the walk!
5. Bookings are essential - they fill up very quickly.
6. Only one washer & one dryer available for use.
7. Bathrooms were spotlessly clean - yay!
8. Only 3 internet terminals.
9. Would stay again without question, the hostel is only relatively new and still undergoing improvements
10. Near to banks, supermarket, train station etc.
11. They provide a good map (but there is a GREAT free map from the tourist info centre nearby)
I stayed for 4 nights in October 2004.

I really liked this hostel. It is probably one of the better ones out there. The rooms were nice and the bathrooms were not bad. The staff was friendly and were happy to answer any questions that we had. The breakfast was not bad (cereal with bread and your choice of several drinks). There is a full kitchen, internet access, and a place to store your backpacks in case you have to checkout before your train arrives (as we had to do). They also had free pizza nights every other night which you had to go to their other hostel for. Be ready to fight the crowd for your pizza, as there is not enough for everyone. The pizza was good, though. :-) I really enjoyed my stay here and would definitely stay here again.

This was by far the best hostel I stayed in in all of my time in Europe. The hostel is centrally located in a good neighborhood. The staff is AMAZING! they cheerfully answered any questions and were very knowledgable. The hostel was very clean and the bathrooms rocked! The rooms were spatious. They had lockers and a 24 hour reception. I was only supposed to be there for 4 nights but ended up staying nine! I felt so at home there and cannot wait to go back!

Of all my hostel stays during my trip to Europe, Alessandro Downtown can be considered the best. Other than the shady neighbourhood (lotsa suspicious-looking people sleep at the Termini Station )and a "smelly" walk to the hostel, it gave my friends and I a cosy and memorable stay.
The beds were comfortable, and the blankets warm (yes, we did have blankets at other hostels that were virtually useless ), and the shower facilities were good, nice and clean cubicles, some even with attached toilets. There's also the kitchen where u could hang out or make urself some drinks and food, and there's tv too..Breakfast is by far the best, with selection of drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate, milk and two juices, and baguettes or cornflakes.
The atmosphere here is lively and people are much friendlier and open to conversations. Overall, had a great stay!

This hostel is ok. Kind of a shady neighborhood to stay in right by the train station. Coed bathrooms, just a fyi. You also have to do a few sets of stairs to get up to it. Fairly clean, but will stay somewhere else next time in Rome.

friendly staff, comfy clean rooms and a great location.
Not forgetting an absolutely unique city. I only had three days here, make sure you budget for at least that if you want to see at least the half of it !

I was very impressed with the Hostel Alessandro. The location is excellent, just a few blocks from Termini Station. They offered free maps, which saved us numerous times and directed us to all the sites we really wanted to see. The staff was superb. Dean (on the night staff) was more than helpful, offering advice on restaurants, sites, etc. Plus he was very cool and easy to talk to. The internet is fairly inexpensive, and with three computers, you usually can get on with a minimal wait. The rooms were all quite clean, and the bathrooms were obviously cleaned regularly. I would suggest bringing a light blanket of sorts on your excursion, as most hostels offer less than stellar bedding (though Alessandro did give a clean sheet and pillowcase. Good Luck and Happy Travels!

Positives - 5 minutes walk from the main train station; cheap internet access & the card you purchase allows you to hop on & off the internet any time until it is used up; clean facilities; self-catering kitchen; generous breakfast - cereal & unlimited rolls; spaghetti night at a local restaurant - you pay for a drink & the meal is free; friendly & helpful staff.
Negatives - one of the dorms upstairs sleeps 20-30 people (other dorms approx 10); the surrounding area is not the safest at night; expensive.

I stayed at this hostel for 2 nights in October. I found the location ideal as it was within 5 min walk to Rome termimi station, buses and both metro lines. The area surrounding the station is not great, but as a female traveller, I never felt unsafe. The staff were incredibly friendly, very knowledgable and always willing to help. Although our dorm room had 16 beds, the room was very large and always clean. Was a bit more expensive than other hostels, but the fully equiped kitchen helps to cut down your costs. All in all, highly recommended! By the way, dont miss the organised pub crawl!

We had a very comfortable 6 bed dorm. Though they only provide you with 1 sheet (bit strange), so a sleeping sheet really is a must!
Big, home style bathrooms upstairs (much nicer than the tiny ones downstairs).
Reception is efficient and very helpful.
Well equipped kitchen and eating room. Breakfast provided in the morning included bread, cereal, coffee/tea and juice. Hostel provide free pizza once a week which was great. They also offer a free pasta night at a local restuarant (however you do have to buy an overpriced drink and the staff are very rude, food takes ages to arrive and is BASIC - better to cook your own!!)
Hostel is located near the main train station in a bit of a dirty area. Bit of a walk to the main tourist attractions (ie approx 20 mins to Colosseum).
The security was not overly good - dorms had no lock and the only security was a buzz in door at the main entrance (this was broken during our stay!!)
There were 3 internet terminals available at reasonable rates. Also laundry facilities and a smoking room, which meant no smoking in the kitchen - YAY!
A bit more than I like to pay for a dorm room but overall accommodation is Rome is not cheap.

I really enjoyed the stay at Alessandro Downtown Hostel for the two nights in Rome. My first impression was that they really considered the needs of us travellers. They gave helpful hints about Rome in general and also important information about the sites we would like to see. The staff there were very helpful at telling us about what buses to take and what are the interesting sites which we may not want to miss. The breakfast provided was pretty reasonable, and the free pizza were actually pretty good. The rooms and showers were clean. Location very convenient. Very good experience overall.

I stayed in Alessandro Downtown for 2 nights on Aug. 28 and 29 2003. Among the several hostels I have stayed in, this was by far the best. The rooms were clean, the staff were really helpful, and there was no curfew! We had to cram seeing the major sites of Rome into one day and one of the staff gave great tips on the best method to get around quickly & how we should plan that day. Also we managed to catch one of the free pizza Thursdays... and the pizza was really good!!!

I stayed there for five nights from August 17th.
I really liked the building entrance, with the huge big wooden doors. I did hate the stairs, but you get that in most hostels so no complaints. The staff were friendly, ALWAYS helpful, knowledgeable (even though the majority of them were Australian- Aussies working in a hostel- no way!).The rooms, although hot (the hostel staff could hardly change the weather could they- though some guests think this the way they carry on) were very spacious. This way you didnt feel so cramped and stuffy. I also liked the bathrooms on the 2nd floor- proper bathrooms with toilet and all- a change from regular hostels cubicles. because of the large size of the dorms you would end up meeting heaps of people and hanging out in your room (probably the coolest place in the hostel, with the fan). There was no lock out at all, and no curfew. The breakfast rolls were weird looking at first but nice- I had never seen them before must be some kind of italian panni! the pub crawl rates a mention- 30 or so people were on the one I went on, from different hostels as well- met loads of people that (crazy) night. They take you to some okay bars too, AND you get discounted drinks. (3 drinks for 10 Euro). the location is so convenient- around the termini (central station). Yes , there are some dodgy characters around but I didnt feel threatened. Just keep your wits about you, but you would be stupid to frequent that place at night anyway. from my experiences staying in hostels plays a great part on how I enjoy my trip and this definately gets the thumbs up from me. I have worked in hostels in N. America and Uk, this place definately has the right idea staff wise and for the guests!! I recommend it.

I was so impressed with Hostel Alessandro. The staff is friendly, hospitable, and helpful. Unlike other hostels, there aren't strict rules that the travelers has to abide by. As long as your considerate and respectful of that you have a great stay. The facilities are clean and well-maintained. I highly reccommend a visit!!! My only complaint was that it didn't have A/C - but that's hard to find in Rome anyway.

With convience being something that is essentual for the travel the location was perfect, the metro and bus were easy to access. The staff was extra friendly and very knowledgable about the tours and the places to eat in the area. (Say Hi to Mark he will answer all your questions.) The place was spacious, clean and well organized. The free breakfast, onsite washer/dryer and kitchen are big perks. If you are gonig to be in Rome this is the place to stay. I am confused why this place only has 3 stars. It is a 4.5 in my book.

They are rennovating the hostel and we stayed in the fixed up part. It was nice. The dorms are small, six beds, and each has a bathroom. Everything was clean and the staff, though a little too cool and jaded, were pleasant.

What can I say about this place? Its within walking distance to all the main attractions and very close to the station. The room was clean and spacious and my bed was actually comfortable. The free pizza on thursday night and free breakfast every morning is a good deal. Also a lot of cool people staying there made it all that much better.
There was a good atmosphere in the evenings in the kitchen and all together a good safe place to stay in Rome. I personally would recommend it to anyone!!

I stayed here for four days and had a good time. The rooms are bigger than most hostels so you dont feel to crowded. Its nice to be able to cook meals in the evening and also to have a few drinks and meet people .
Yeah, they have a cleaning time during the day but all hostels do, at least they helped me to plan my days and also gave me a lot of helpful info on other places in Italy.
No complaints here! The night guy was also great to talk with.

This hostel is located very close to the main station. Unfortunately, the surrounding area of the main station is dirty, dodgy and dull. There is nothing to do at night in this area and it is a relatively dangerous area of Rome, or at least it feels that way. Hence, many people at the hostel stay in at night.
Besides the poor location, the hostel itself is very average. The bathrooms and showers are average. The rooms are fairly small and quite dirty. The beds are tiny and the sheets look like they've never been washed. However, the worst thing with the rooms is that the doors have no locks and have to remain open all day.
There is a lock-out policy all day at the hostel, meaning that you cannot sleep in or return to your room for the best part of the day. The staff here ranges from nice and helpful people to lazy smart-asses.
A very average hostel, but when you consider its boring location, it may be better to find a hostel located further away from the main station (unless you're only staying in Rome overnight).

I were with five friends in Rome last september, and we were at Alessandro Palace Hostel. We really passed a very good time and enjoyed it very much. We all think that the hostel was a very good place to stay, funny, with good people and near Termini (train station). If we would return to Rome we probably will go there.